North Cascades Meat Producers Cooperative: Non-Compliance to Humane Livestock Handling in 2024 (USDA)
See the detail of the non-compliance of humane livestock handling that the USDA observed at the North Cascades Meat Producers Cooperative slaughterhouse establishment in 2024.
You can also see other establishments that were non-compliant in 2024.
313.15(a)(1)
HATS Category VIII: Stunning Effectiveness On Friday March 8, 2024, at approximately 11:01 AM, IPP observed the following noncompliance. Establishment employees moved a mature ram from its holding pen to an aisle beside the pens, with minimal stress and excitement to the animal, for stunning for slaughter. An establishment employee straddled the ram and held the head steady while the stun operator used a hand-held captive bolt (HHCB) device (pistol-shaped) on the occipital area of the head. After the stun was applied the animal remained standing, but did not vocalize. The stun operator readily retrieved a second HHCB device which was available and preloaded on a nearby table. The second HHCB device (pistol shaped) was used to apply a second stun to the occipital area of the head. After the stun was applied the animal remained standing and still did not vocalize. The stun operator readily retrieved the third HHCB bolt device (a straight, in-line model), which was available and preloaded on the same nearby table. The third captive bolt was used on the occipital area of the head and when the stun was applied, rendered the ram unconscious and insensible, as evidenced by the establishment employee’s check of the eyes. The ram remained unconscious throughout the bleeding process. U.S. Reject tag B39 028326 was applied by IPP to the stunning equipment and U.S. Reject tag B42 102110 was applied by IPP to the pen holding the sheep. The HACCP Coordinator and lead butcher were verbally notified of the forthcoming noncompliance record. Upon inspection of the dressed head, one non-penetrating mark on the skull was observed, with two penetrating holes. The District Management Team was notified through supervisory channels. There have been no noncompliance records issued for the same root cause within the past 90 days. This establishment operates under a robust systematic approach to the humane handling of livestock.
